Hallmark Actor Chris Gauthier Dead At 48

Actor Chris Gauthier, who had roles in TV shows like "Smallville," "Eureka," and "Once Upon A Time," as well as Hallmark projects like "The Christmas House" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" has died. He was 48 years old.

News of his passing on February 23 was confirmed by TriStar Appearances/Event Horizon Talent in a statement shared with TVLine. "As a beloved Vancouver-based character actor, Chris shared his talents with so many of us both on television and in film. His loss is felt not just by his fans but by those of us who were lucky enough to know him more personally." Chad Colvin, a talent representative who works for the company, also confirmed the news via a lengthy post on Facebook. "This still doesn't feel real. How can it? A world without you in it is a much darker place. So much so that when his wife reached out to me yesterday with the news, I wept tears of disbelief for hours," he penned. "I am going to miss you so much more than you'll ever imagine."

The cause of his death has yet to be confirmed, but his manager said that he "passed suddenly and unexpectedly following a short illness." Gauthier is survived by his wife, Erin, and their two children, Ben and Sebastian.

Chris Gauthier's colleagues took to social media to share their tributes to the late actor. Colin O'Donoghue, who played Hook in "Once Upon a Time," wrote on Instagram, "Rest in Peace Chris! Heartbroken! My love and thoughts go out to Erin and the boys! You will be missed brother! You were the real captain!!" while Adam Horowitz, who served as showrunner for the series, tweeted, "So sad to hear of the passing of Chris Gauthier. Chris Gorham, who starred with Gauthier on "Harper's Island," also paid his tribute. "Another good man gone too soon. Grateful to have worked with Chris and am sending love to his family and friends," he shared on X, formerly Twitter. "Rest in peace, pal."

Of course, Hallmark also paid tribute on Instagram, with his "Three Wise Men and a Baby" co-star Tyler Hynes commenting a dove and white heart emoji. He also shared the network's remembrance on his personal Instagram Stories. 

It's easy to see why Gauthier was so beloved — not only did his enthusiasm for the work shine, but he was also encouraging of others. Speaking with Luton Today, he offered encouragement to those looking to pursue the profession. "Just do it. Believe you can!" he said. "It sounds oversimplified and maybe it is? Maybe that's a good thing. I'm sure there's no one path that's right. But mine was just that! I knew I could and wanted to do it badly!"